Method op psepakihg fuels



Nov 9 9 1926. 11,606,239

.n. M. W. KITCHEN METHOD OF PREPARING FUELS Filed June 9, 1924 INVENTOR fW aw Nov. 9, 1926..

JQSEPI'I MOSES 'W'ARTD KITCHEN,

OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERISEY.

METHOD OF FREEHZRHIG FUELS.

Application filed June 9,

The objects of this invention, are: to pro duce kindling fuels that will economically take the place of wood for starting lires, and for other purposes such as generating gas, heating, and power generation.

l as a basis of these fuels, colres of various cnaracter, and produced from va- "olted burnable matters, the coking being ell'ected under various de l temperat ire. These coltes are imtted with low cost heavy fuel oils for some purposes, and with other oils for other purposes. Coke that has been subjected to high temperature carbonization, 1 use to impregnate with lowest cost petroleum tracates, which im 'iregnated fuels have a ie for generating fixed gases of various c values. I also use coltes that have s ibjected ti low ten perature carbonizetion, which have a value for generating producer gas, and also for use in generating ste n], or tor other purposes. For the particular use ot' lrii'idling fuels, I prefer to use ch: coal because of its greater inllammability, but may use low temperature fillhouined colre, and aft .1 in'ipregnating such col may coat the lll'l1)li'lllltl particles with charcoal dust in order to ma'lze such fuels more cleanly when handled. Somel in'ipregnate col: with lighter oils times i. and give them secondary exterior coats of harder matters, such as gas-house tar, and coat the tar with comminuted charcoal before the tar .is ried.

In makin :l uehmasses oi impregnated co l, l prererably utilize relative y large sized particles of porous coke, and sometimes may use coke breeze, reclaimed anthracite cinders and charcoal. in impregnating such matters, 1 preferably thinly coat the exterior and interior surfaces of such fuels with a carlzoi'iaceous matter of a more inflammable character than the porous fuel thus treated.

it accomplish the aim of the invention in various ways. i may heat and dry the COliO, and lieuety a pitchy substance that is easily nable, either by dissolving it in, or do it with a solvent, or by heating it, or in both ways; and more or impregnate the coho with the matter thus rendered more liquid so as to cover the exterior and interior surfaces oi? the porosities oi the coke. P ecrably, I do not entirely till all the porosities ol? the colic. In order to more or i retain the porous character ol the particles, excessive amounts of the imlEZ-l. Serial No. 719.066.

pregnating liquid may be removed from the coke by dripping, 01' by centrifugal action, or by heating, and by the aid of the capil lary attraction oi the coked porosities, or by a combination of several o'f-such inlluences. Usually, the less volatile constituents ol' the impregnating matters become more viscous, thickened and adhesive, and adhere in a thin coat on all the surfaces of the colre; but more of the heavier constituents remain on the exterior surfaces of the particles, while the lighter constituents are incl-awn more into the center of the particles. lnasn'iuch as quick inllainmability of a kindling iiuel is a sine qua non, in such fuels I avoid driving off Volatile matters that would not volatilize except at a very consicerable increase in ten'lperature above ordinary room temperatures. As a matter of precaution against the accidental combustion ct such kindling fuels, it necessary, I drive oli' volatile matters from the impregnated fuel that volatilize at temperatures lower than 150 F; but avoid subjecting the fuel to very high temperatures such as above d00 F, inasmuch as too high tempe atures would decrease the in'llammability ot' the fuel to too great a degree. I may use as an impregnating oil, a hydrocarbon that will only volatilize at temperatures higher than 150 F.; but may use as an impregnating fluid, one that to secure a satisfactory degree of fluidity of impregnating character, may require a considerable content of lighter oils. It I use crude peroleum oils as an impregnant, they usually contain enough solvent to give the impregnating fluid even when cold, a suliicient penetrative character. To some crude oils 1 may add heavier combustibles for special purposes; such as gas-house tar and pitches of various specific gravities. It will be noted that my method is different from the ordinary method of making briquets, and especially in not volatilizing the binding constituents used in producing solid biriquets.

if an inconsiderable amount of very volatile solvent such as toluol, gasoline or kerosene is used to liquefy the impregnating matter, in the removal of such volatiles, a volatilizing heat of considerably over 150 F. is usually not necessary, as the lighter constituents are more deeply absorbed into the body of the coke. it will be understood that in driving off solvents or other liquetying constituents by heat externally applied,

the coating on the exterior of the coked particles is left in a less fluid condition than the matter in the interior porosities of the coked particles, the softer viscous matter being absorbed and retained in place partly by capillary attraction and partly by adhesion with the rough interior surfaces of the porosities, and hence do not easily exude from the exterior surfaces of the particles. In driving off excess volatile matters from the impregnated fuel, I avoid carrying the process to the extentof, or give the compression needed informing hard non-porous briquets. I do not impregnate my fuel for the purpose of binding together soft or hard fuel particles, or for forming from soft coal a hard non-porous fuel, The matrix ofmy coked fuel particles is a form of porous fixed carbon that is not compressed; but that retains after impregnation, a considerable degree of porosity, so that burnable vapors can pass out from the interior porositiesof the fuel particles and secure ignition in the burning process. The method commonly practiced in briquet making, has an opposite purpose from mine, thru securing a hardening of the fueland a closure of the porosities of the briquets. To attempt to use the fuel herein claimed in large fuel bed masses at one firing, might result in a serious confiagration, which the compression of, and hardening of briquet particles, prevents. In burning my fuels for kindling purposes, only a small amount would be used; and in burning them for heat generation, the fuel is gradually introduced into the zone of burning, as by the method of continuousintroduction on a chain grate; or by intermittent feedings, either in heaps, or as thin coats on fuel-bed surfaces.

For kindling fuels, so long as I avoid a sticky or too greasy exterior of my fuel particles, the more viscous and less hard the impregnated matter in the interior of the fuel particles, the better, so long as it will not run out nor volatilize at, or closely approximate to room temperatures. Sometimes to prevent a greasy surface, I give a second dipping to the particles with heat ed pitch, which may or may not be coated with, powdered charcoal. I I

Gas-house tar heated or thinned with a solvent, a good and low cost impregnat ing material. Sometimes I dissolve pitch in a light carbon oil, and after using the liquefied pitch as an impregnant, drive oft volatile matters from the impregnated coke by, heat that will volatilize most of the lighter oils; and then condense the driven ol'i hot vagors and use the condensate repeater iy to liquefy the impregnating more solid tar or pitchy material of lower cost. Sometimes I saturate the coke with crude petroleun'i, or partially distilled crude fuel oils; and then drive off more or less of the lighter constituents by heating the coke in a closed oven. I may pass burned and hence incoinbustible gases of combustion over the treated coke, exercising care that the temperature of the incombustible gases is not so hot as to overheat the treated coke. I secure a sufficient quality of inflammability in the coke I treat. I usually prefer to s so fully remove the more easily volatile constituents of the impregnatin matter as to leave the exterior surfaces of the treated coke in a non-adhesive state; but a cohed product more or less impregnated with an externally greasy and viscous fiuid hydrocarbon, is comprised in this invention, especially if the impregnated colies are to be immediately transferred to a gas retort to receive a sufficient heating to drive olf the volatile, and to transform them into fixed burnable gases. Y

The principle of the invention can be applied. in various ways. I do not confine my method of accomplishing my aim, to any special method. I designate as one method, in'ipregnating coke with tarry matters of sufficient fluidity, and then heating the impregnated coke until the liquefying constituents of the tar are so much driven off that the residuum of the tar left in the coke is sufficiently hardened to not exude on the exterior of the coke particles at ordinary atmospheric temperatures. Coke, or coke breeze can be fully impregnated with melted pitch, which after its cooling can be finely ground or otherwise comminuted, and enough of this comminuted prepared prodnot may be admixed with unimpregnated coke particles to render the admixture sufficiently inflammable, the unimpregnated coke providing for a free passage of gases thru the burning fuel as a mass. Pitch can be used as an impregnant alone, in a hotmelted conditlon, with or without being liquefied with solvents. Coke can be exhausted of its contained air in a vacuum, and then be impregnated with the pitchy fluid. Or; coke can be fully impregnated with an inflammable heavy oil, and then finely ground, and a certain amount of the finely ground impregnated coke can be admixed with coked unimpregnated particles of suilicient size to prevent the admixture passing thru grate openings. tle finely ground oiled coke adheres to the rough surfaces of the unimpregnated coke; but gives an increased inflammabilit-y to the admixture as a whole.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an apparatus for effecting an increase in the infh nmablo chara-ter of COliQS. It com prises the closed vertical volatilizer B con nccted with the tubular vertical condenser C. The volatilizer connected with the furnace ii in which hot burned gases are produced. The temperature of the hot In that case,

burned gases is reduced by admixtures with cooled non-coml'mstible gas to a temperature that will avoid igniting the contents of the vol atilizer. Preferably, the coke is impregnated with a fluid hydrocarbon containing a portion of tar, or some heavy oil distillate. The impregnated coke is treated in the volatilizer by passing the hot burned gases from the furnace A. upwardly thru the impregnated colre mass, which gases absorb the volatiliaed vapors which are then forced downwardly thru the tubular condenser (l, and therein cooled by condensing water. In passing upward. thru the coke particles, the matters that volatilize at the temperature of the volatilizing gates, are eliminated from the coke, leaving a film of the less fluid coml iustible material on the inner surface of the porosit-ies, and of a still less fluid character on the exterior surfaces of the colte. The treated coke is removed from time to time from the bottom of the volatilizer B. The condenser is cooled by water passing thru it from below upward. The volatilized vapors from the coke are condensed on the cooling tubular surfaces of the condenser and the condensate may be repeatedly used in cycle to secure desirable penetrating fluidity of the material that is used to impregnate the coke. The cooled burned gases that emerge from the bottom of the con denser C are utilized to suiiiciently reduce the temperature of the burned hot gases that are used to vaporize the lighter oils in the impregnated coke. This special process is a circulatory one. The volatilizing process is effected by the heat developed in the complete burnin of fuel in the furnace A which is outside of the volatilizer B; but the reduction of the temperatures of the gases produced in the furnace A. to a non-inflammable degree, is really effected indirectly by the cooling effect on the burned gases of the cold water forced upwardly thru the condenser C. i

Tn the furnace A, the hot non-combustible gates are formed for volatilizing the matters to be eliminated from the impregnated coke. A? is a fan for forcing air for combustion thru the fuel-mass in the furnace A and over the fuel-mass by way of the bypass conduit A. controlled by the damper A lly proper n'ianagement a relatively perfect combustion of the gases evolved from the fuel in the furnace A is effected, producing a heated volume of carbon dioxide. The temperature of this carbon dioxide is reduced to a temperature below an ignition temperatru'e, by its admixture with cool bin'ned gas drawn from the condenser C by the fun I). and forced thru the conduit D which i" controlled by the damper A thru the inlet and manifold A into the upper level of the interior of the furnace A; and at that level. adznixes with the hot carbon dioxide generated in the furnace A. The thermometer A indicates the temperatures of the gases passing thru the duct A. The temperature of the volatilizing gas may range between 150 F. and approximately lOO" F. The coke to be treated is impreg nated with the fluid combustible selected, and is fed from the feeding floor F into the volatilizer B thru the feed door B and gradually settles to the bottom of the volatilizer as the colte is drawn thru the drawout door The volatilizing hot gas is fo"ced from below upward thru the impregnated coke particles, being introduced into the volatilizer at the level of the drawout door B and passes over and into the top of the condenser C and downward thru the tubes G which are surrounded by the cooling water that is forced upwards thru the inlet C to the level of the exit tube C It will be noted that in this condenser I apply the principle of the vertical countercurrent transfer of heat, the heat of the having the highest heat being absorbed a" the highest level of the tubes C and the lowest temperature heat being absorbed at the lowest level of those tubes. The vapor conveyed by the heating gas is con densed on the condensing surfaces of the tubes C and running downward, is drawn. out at the outlet 6*. A is the furnace feed door and A. is the furnace ash door. The thermometer A is an important feature of this device; for not only must the temperature of the gases that are forced thru the volatilizer B be maintained at a degree be low what would ignite volatilizable constituents of the solvent used in liquefying the impregnated material, but also below any temperature that n'iay volatilize various other impregnating matters. If the coke is in'ipregnated with crude petroleum, the temperature maintained in the volatilizer may be lower than if the impregnating matter is pitch dissolved in a lighter hydrocarbon. As the solvent is volatilized, the absorptive power of the coke particles draws the liquid impregnating matters to the interior of the colre particles, leaving the exterior surfaces of the coke particles more free from oily and adhesive matters than the interior of the particles. I aim to keep the volatilizer B full of coke as possible. When the colce is removed from the bottom of the device thru the door B an equal bulk of the impregnated coke is introduced thru the lid il The distillate condensed from the volatile matters in the condenser C, may or may not be considered as a byproduct of the method. Jnder some conditions I use the condensed solvent in cycle when heavier con tituents of fluid or solid matters, such as ga -house tar, are used. I emphasize the fact that I may use a considerable variety of iniipregnating matters. I. may use kerosene oil; but as a precaution against accidents, I always drive oif constituents in the impregnating fluid that might volatilize at high room temperatures in close vicinity to heating apparatuses, or other sources of heat. I do :not advocate the storage of large quantities of easily ignited materials like this fuel. It will be understood that I do not confine myself to this apparatus in preparing my artificial fuel; and that the coke .I use should .be so free from water as to .easily absorb the oily impregnating materials. In driving off light volatiles from the impregnating coke, hot air can be used if great care is taken to keep it at sufficiently low temperatures, but I prefer to use an oxygen-free gas in eliminating the light volatile constituents from the treated coke.

It is obvious that other methods of volatilizing low temperature volatilizable 'mat- .ters from the impregnated coke may be used,

.such as usingair warmed to a safe degree by steam, hot water, or even by the transmitted heat of ordinary furnaces, tho the latter is a dangerous procedure, inasmuch as a volatilized gas heated to an ignitible temperature will explode thru contact with air.

A working formu la for effecting the prep aration of my fuel will vary according to the porosity of the coke used and the nature of the impregnating matter, which may vary widely. If crude petroleum is used as an impregnating material, it usually contains enough liquefying content of lighter oils to carry the impregnating fuel into the porosi- ..ties of the coke by simply immersing the coke in the crude petroleum. After removing the impregnated coke from the impregnating container, I allow all of the excess fluid to drip from the fuel-mass, and then the impregnated coke is placed in the volati-lizer and subjected to the partial limited volatilizing process described. Gas-house tar is a cheap impregnating inflammable matter, but to be freely absorbed into the coke, it should be diluted with a lighter oil to an extent that will carry the liquefied im pregnant into the coked porosities. The degree of liquefying fluid used will vary according to attending conditions. A solid pitch, in order to dissolve it, will require more than a fluid tar. This is always a mat vter of experiment and exercise of judgment nant from the coked particles, that result may be accomplished by a quick dipping of and removal of the coked particles in and from the oil used for the impregnation. In which case, if the impregnant has a light oil solvent in it, that solvent is specially indrawn to the central part of the cokedparticles. If the impregnant is heated to further its absorption .into the coke, a lighter dipiin -mav be iven. The nature of this rac- .l e e tice varies with the use to which the impregnated coke is to be applied. If it :is .to be applied in gas making by being distilled in an air freegas retort, a complete impregnation the coke for producer gas generation, in its preparation, I only give it a temperatureso much lower, that a considerable amount of volatile matter remains in the coked part1- .cles. If I am preparing charcoal as a basis for a kindling fuel, I give the Wood basis of the charcoal, the ordinary low temperature carbonization that iscustomary. All of the cited cokes have individual uses as oil impregnating bases for my fuels.

What I claim as new is:

1. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, impregnating a coked fuel with a fluid hydrocarbon, .and eliminating from the fuel, matters that will volatilize at any degree of ordinary room temperatures. I

2. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, coating the exterior and interior surfaces of cooled dry coked particles with a liquid petroleum product that is more inflammable than the coked fuel, said matter being applied in a fluid condition, exposing to externally applied heat the coated fuel particles and driv ing off from the coating matter such constit uents as will volatilize at temperatures lower than 150%.

off volatilizable constituents from the im pregnated coke that will volatilize at temperatures below 150 F. by externally applying heat of a temperature not so high as 400 F.

4. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, im-

pregnating the porosities of uncompressed and nondisintegrated coked fuel particles with an intlan'nnable liquid comprising matters non-volatilizable at ordinary room temperatures, and eliminating by externally applied heating of the inqiregnant'constituents that will volatilize at temperatures lower than 150 B, said elimination stopping short of hardening the impregnating liquid to a degree that will make the impregnating mat ter less inflammable than the coked fuel particles.

5. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, diluting a heavy hydrocarbon with a lighter hydrocarbon, impregnating coke with the diluted hydrocarbon, heating the impregnated fuel in a retort by passing heated, incombustible thru the retort, and volatilizing and driving off such matters from the fuel as will vaporize at a temperature lower than 150 F, the temperature of the heated vaporizing gas being lowered by admixture with an incombustible of a cooler temperature than the heated gas.

6. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in. impregnating the porosities of a COlZGCl fuel with a liquid hydrocarbon, placing the impregnated cohed fuel in a vol atilizer, forcing a having a temperature lower than 400 thru the volatilizer and volatilizing constituents in the liquid hydrocarbon that will volatilize at and above ordinary room ten1- peratures.

Y. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, impregnating the porosities of a coked fuel with a. liquid combustible, externally heating the fuel at a temperature su'l'liciently high to volatilize matters in the impregnating liquid combustible, said heating sub jecting the impregnated coked fuel to the influence of a volatilizing heating gas until matters in the liquid combustible that volatilize at room temperatures are eliminated.

8. lChe process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, impregnating a colzed fuel with a liquid hydrocarbon having constituents that will volatilize at a temperature lower than 150 F, preparing a that is substantially free from oxygen, said gas having a temperature that will not heat the impregnated hydrocarbon to an ignition temperature but that will volatilize constituents in the impregnating matter that would. volatilize at ordinary rocm temperatures, and eliminating matters from the impregnated fuel by contact with the gas.

9. The process of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, coking, breaking and sorting a coking fuel into particles of a determined size. and impregnating the particles of determined size with a liquid hydrocarbon having the character of non-solidifying at ordinary room temperatures, that will not volatilize at temperatures lower than 150 F, and that will have a specific gravity lighter than water.

10. The method of preparing artificial fuel herein described, which consists in, rendering an inflammable hydrocarbon sufliciently liquid to be absorbed into coke, impregnating coke with the hydrocarbon, and decreasii the liquidity of the impregnating hydrocarbon.

11. A fuel-mass comprising coked particles impregnated with a hydrocarbon more intlanunable than the coke, and non-impregnated colzed particles interspersed between and surrounding the impregnated particles.

12. The method herein described which consists in, iliipregnating coke with an inflammable hydrocarbon and coating the coke with pulverized charcoal.

13. The method of preparing a kindling fuel herein described, which consists in, impregnating charcoal particles with an inflammable hydrocarbon, and admixing the impregnated charcoal with unimpregnated charcoal.

JOSEPH MOSES l/VARD KITCHEN. 

